Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

Pesto Lasagna

Teresa Ambra

Pesto Lasagna is awesome! Everyone loves lasagna including me. I like it with Italian sausage, I like it Taco-style, I like it Ravioli-style and even Mexican Lasagna. So when I came across this one with pesto, I knew it was a must-make recipe. Pesto Lasagna uses ground beef and store bought Paul Newman marinara sauce, then it’s layered with a ricotta cheese mixture, fire-roasted peppers, pesto sauce and lots of cheese. Plus, this recipe uses oven ready noodles so you don’t have to precook them. It’s much, much easier that way.

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Last month we had some friends who work with John move into a new house that’s also in the development where we are currently building our new home. I offered to bring them a meal which they accepted. When I asked what they liked to eat, Angela, the wife said, “I love lasagna.”

As it happened, this particular recipe was made for our church’s potluck earlier in the month so I thought it would be a good fit. I hadn’t had an opportunity to eat any of it then, because the casserole got cleaned out before I had an opportunity to try some, but I heard enough comments about it, that I tracked down the maker and asked her for the recipe. She was happy to give it to me. Later, I told her how much both we and the folks I made the lasagna for loved her lasagna recipe. Of course, she was delighted that we all enjoyed it so much.

I actually made a regular sized pan for Kal and Angela, and a smaller pan for us. My husband loves Italian but he’s not generally too keen on pesto. However, he loved this lasagna recipe. What’s not to love with loads of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, beef, pesto sauce, and roasted bell peppers. It’s a heavenly recipe that everyone loves. We certainly did and so did the family I made it for. They liked it so much they requested the recipe that same night! Even several folks at our church potluck asked for the recipe.

If you’re looking for a fantastic dish for holiday meals, company dinners, special occasions or just because your family also enjoys lasagna, you’ve got to give this Pesto Lasagna a try. I assure you, no one will be disappointed, and most will want seconds. Once you try it, you’ll see why everyone asked for the recipe.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Pesto Lasagna is one of the BEST lasagna recipes you’ll ever eat!

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

I guarantee you’ll be salivating after one bite.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Pesto sauce adds a nice little zip to this tasty entree.

Here’s what I did.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

I used these ingredients.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Brown ground beef. Drain grease. Add Paul Newman’s Marinara Sauce and stir to combine. Heat through.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Spread about a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a greased 9×13″ baking dish. Spread 3 noodles over top (don’t over lap the noodles).

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Combine ricotta cheese and egg. Set aside.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Dollop globs of ricotta cheese over top of the noodles using up one-third of the mixture.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Dab one-third of the pesto sauce over top of the noodles, then add one-third of the drained, roasted bell pepper strips.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Sprinkle with a half cup mozzarella cheese.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Layer another 3 noodles over top of cheese. Spoon another cup of meat mixture over top of noodles.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Repeat layers: Dollop another third of the ricotta cheese, pesto sauce, roasted bell pepper strips and a half cup mozzarella cheese.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Top with another 3 noodles and another cup of meat mixture.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Dollop remaining ricotta cheese over top of meat mixture. Spoon remaining pesto sauce, remaining roasted bell peppers and an additional half cup cheese.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Layer last 3 noodles, remaining meat sauce and a cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Refrigerate up to one day.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Sprinkle another cup of cheese over top and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese melts.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

Garnish with fresh basil to serve.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

If you enjoy lasagna, you’ve got to give Pesto Lasagna a try.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

This cheesy dish is comfort food at its finest. I served it with Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots and Easy Marinara Sauce to dip the bread in. It was quite grand!

Here’s the recipe.

PESTO LASAGNA

(Recipe adapted from Vonda Massingale, Ovilla Road Baptist Church, Ovilla, TX)

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

Pesto Lasagna

Teresa Ambra
This amazing lasagna recipe uses pesto sauce, roasted red peppers and oven-ready noodles. The cheesy deliciousness of this pasta dish is hard to beat. Perfect for holiday and company dinners.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12
Calories 394 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
  • 1 9x13" glass baking dish
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 spatula
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs. 93% lean ground beef
  • 24 oz. jar Paul Newman’s marinara sauce
  • 12 oz. no-cook lasagna noodles oven ready
  • 16 oz. tub Ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tbsp. pesto sauce
  • 8 oz. jar roasted yellow or red peppers drained
  • 12-16 oz. Mozzarella cheese shredded, or more if desired

Instructions
 

  • Grease a 9x13” glass baking dish.
  • Cook beef in skillet over medium heat, breaking up chunks, until no longer pink.
  • Use a hamburger chopper to break meat down in small pieces while frying.
  • Stir in marinara sauce.
  • Spread 1 cup meat sauce in baking dish.
  • Place 3 noodles crosswise on sauce (don’t overlap noodles).
  • Scrape Ricotta into a bowl.
  • Add egg and stir until blended.
  • Drop spoonfuls or 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the pesto sauce over the noodles.
  • Top with 1/3 of the pepper strips, ½ cup mozzarella, then 3 more noodles.
  • Spread 1 cup meat sauce on top to cover noodles.
  • Repeat layers twice, starting with ricotta and pesto.
  • Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  • Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerate up to 1 day.
  • Heat oven to 375°.
  • Remove foil and plastic wrap.
  • Recover with foil.
  • Bake 50-60 minutes, or until edges bubble and center is hot.
  • Tent foil, if necessary to avoid cheese sticking to foil.
  • If desired, sprinkle additional Mozzarella cheese over top of lasagna and heat through another 5-10 minutes until melted.

Notes

© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 26gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 466mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1000IUVitamin C: 33.8mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 0.9mg
Keyword casserole, lasagna, main dish, mozzarella cheese, noodles, pasta, pesto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

[b]Pesto Lasagna[/b]
Recipe Type: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Teresa Ambra adapted from Vonda Massingale, Ovilla Road Baptist Church, Ovilla, TX
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This amazing lasagna recipe uses pesto sauce, roasted red peppers and oven-ready noodles. The cheesy deliciousness of this pasta dish is hard to beat.
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ lbs. 93% lean ground beef
  • 24-oz. jar Paul Newman’s marinara sauce
  • 12 no-cook (oven ready) lasagna noodles
  • 16-oz. tub ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tbsp. pesto sauce
  • 1 8-oz. jar roasted yellow or red peppers, drained, and cut in strips
  • 12-16-oz. mozzarella cheese (or more if desired)
Instructions
  1. Grease a 9×13” glass baking dish.
  2. Cook beef in skillet over medium heat, breaking up chunks, until no longer pink.
  3. Stir in marinara sauce.
  4. Spread 1 cup meat sauce in baking dish.
  5. Place 3 noodles crosswise on sauce (don’t overlap noodles).
  6. Scrape ricotta into a bowl.
  7. Add egg and stir until blended.
  8. Drop spoonfuls or 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the pesto sauce over the noodles.
  9. Top with 1/3 of the pepper strips, ½ cup mozzarella, then 3 more noodles.
  10. Spread 1 cup meat sauce on top to cover noodles.
  11. Repeat layers twice, starting with ricotta and pesto.
  12. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
  13. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerate up to 1 day.
  14. Heat oven to 375°.
  15. Remove foil and plastic wrap.
  16. Recover with foil.
  17. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until edges bubble and center is hot.
  18. Tent foil, if necessary to avoid cheese sticking to foil.
  19. If desired, sprinkle additional mozzarella cheese over top of lasagna and heat through another 5-10 minutes until melted.
Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

The pesto sauce and roasted red pepper strips add delicious flavor to this tasty lasagna.

Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen | this amazing #lasagna is one of the BEST you'll ever eat! It uses oven-ready #noodles which makes it a lot easier to assemble. #pasta #pesto

I told you, you’d be drooling!

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Ravioli Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen
Pesto Lasagna | Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen

Pesto Lasagna

Teresa Ambra
This amazing lasagna recipe uses pesto sauce, roasted red peppers and oven-ready noodles. The cheesy deliciousness of this pasta dish is hard to beat. Perfect for holiday and company dinners.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12
Calories 394 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
  • 1 9×13" glass baking dish
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 spatula
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs. 93% lean ground beef
  • 24 oz. jar Paul Newman’s marinara sauce
  • 12 oz. no-cook lasagna noodles oven ready
  • 16 oz. tub Ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tbsp. pesto sauce
  • 8 oz. jar roasted yellow or red peppers drained
  • 12-16 oz. Mozzarella cheese shredded, or more if desired

Instructions
 

  • Grease a 9×13” glass baking dish.
  • Cook beef in skillet over medium heat, breaking up chunks, until no longer pink.
  • Use a hamburger chopper to break meat down in small pieces while frying.
  • Stir in marinara sauce.
  • Spread 1 cup meat sauce in baking dish.
  • Place 3 noodles crosswise on sauce (don’t overlap noodles).
  • Scrape Ricotta into a bowl.
  • Add egg and stir until blended.
  • Drop spoonfuls or 1/3 of the Ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the pesto sauce over the noodles.
  • Top with 1/3 of the pepper strips, ½ cup mozzarella, then 3 more noodles.
  • Spread 1 cup meat sauce on top to cover noodles.
  • Repeat layers twice, starting with ricotta and pesto.
  • Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  • Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerate up to 1 day.
  • Heat oven to 375°.
  • Remove foil and plastic wrap.
  • Recover with foil.
  • Bake 50-60 minutes, or until edges bubble and center is hot.
  • Tent foil, if necessary to avoid cheese sticking to foil.
  • If desired, sprinkle additional Mozzarella cheese over top of lasagna and heat through another 5-10 minutes until melted.

Notes

© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 26gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 466mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1000IUVitamin C: 33.8mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 0.9mg
Keyword casserole, lasagna, main dish, mozzarella cheese, noodles, pasta, pesto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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